Did it Make the Cut?
Dear Maggie,
Have you ever had to cut a scene or character that you really like out of one of your books?
Sincerely,
An Editor in Edinburg
Dear Editor,
What a fun question! When I’m working on a first draft, I know that some of what I put down on paper won’t make it to the final version. Often, I’ll cut between five and ten thousand words from my manuscript! That may seem like a lot, but Terry Pratchett once said, “The first draft is you telling yourself the story.” His words stuck with me. As the author, I need to know more details about a character or a world I’ve created than I’ll ever share with readers. Having those small yet important facts at my fingertips gives the story more consistency and authenticity.
Because I plan the major conflicts and plot points of my stories ahead of time, and because I get to know my characters inside and out, I don’t tend to go down too many rabbit holes when writing. The novel I end up with is generally recognizable from the draft I started with, so the cuts are usually just me tightening up scenes. Oddly, that wasn’t the case with the newest book in the TSI series, Lost and Found.
While Lost and Found is the third book in series, I actually wrote parts of it first. I’d just finished working on an installment in my science fiction series and I wanted to take a break from that story for a little while. As often happens, new ideas begin to take shape while I’m in the middle of another project. I very clearly envisioned the scene in Lost and Found where Lissa is trying to escape from her stalker. She sprays him with a bottle of bathroom cleaner and runs through the house, only to find all the doors padlocked. There wasn’t much of a story to go with this scene yet, but it was pulse-pounding and terrifying enough that I really wanted to keep it!
After just a few weeks of working on my new idea, I had to return to writing my science fiction novel, and Lost and Found sat in my files for about a year. When I eventually began developing the TSI series, I dusted off that partial manuscript, gave Cam a new and better backstory, and turned it into book 3. This dusting off required changing more of the plot than I’m used to though, and it meant deleting entire scenes which no longer made sense. I also switched from writing in the first person to the third.
For fun, I’ll share one of the scenes I deleted before the story got too far off track. Cam is on protection duty because of Lissa’s stalker, but in this version the couple have actually lost a baby, a tragedy that precipitates their break-up. It was a haunting, emotional scene, but one that just didn’t fit with the newly revised story arc. Have a look…
I’m getting my things together. Cam walks out of the bathroom and sees me about to leave.
“Where are you going?” He’s definitely pissed.
It’s Sunday. I panic. I have to go.
He must realize something is off by the look on my face, so he says in a gentler voice, “Liss you know you can’t go anywhere without me.”
I can’t take him with me, can I? But then I think, he has as much a right to be there as I do.
“Give me five minutes and I’ll take you anywhere you need to go,” he says and there won’t be a debate. If I want to go, he will be with me. I nod.
True to his word, five minutes later we’re in his car and he asks, “Ok where to?”
I swallow and look down at my fingers twisting involuntarily in my lap. “The cemetery,” I whisper.
He grips the steering wheel hard but doesn’t answer.
“I always go on Sundays,” I explain, my voice higher and tighter than usual. “Sometimes I have to go really early if I’m working, or late at night, but I don’t miss.” I’m rambling now and I sound a little unhinged, even to my own ears. “I like to make sure the space looks nice, you know?”
He grabs my hand in my lap and squeezes, silencing me.
It’s not far so we are there in a few minutes. I walk through the beautifully manicured lawn to the tiny stone monument. Cam follows wordlessly.
So, that was a long-winded answer to what was really a simple question! Hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my writing process.
Do you have a question for me? Send it to maggie@msmaggieclare.com, and I’ll answer it here on the blog!
In other news…
I had a really fun interview with my good friend Monica Rodgers on her Revelation Project podcast. If you’d like to get to know me a little better, have a listen! Writing Yourself Open
A few months ago, we lost our newest kitten to sepsis. My kids, husband, and I were absolutely devastated. Last week, we brought home baby Cirilla, who is actually half-sibling to our little lost kitten. She has his beautiful blue eyes and is an adorable, playful addition to our family! Welcome baby Cici!
